Siracusa by Delia Ephron

• This novel is relayed from four points of view.
• Each character is flawed in their own way.  
• I found the character of Taylor to be cliched (and annoying).
• In the audiobook edition of the novel, John Slattery (who played Roger Sterling in Mad Men) narrates a character who could be described as a modern day Roger Sterling.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Rowling, Thorne and Tiffany

• First, I'm a Harry Potter fan and this is a biased review.
• The novel nicely picks up 19 years after the last Harry Potter novel.  It fills in needed gaps and reveals key events that happened.
• Initially, it was odd to see Harry Potter as a father figure.  Throughout the novel we see both him and his troubled child grow as characters.
• Since this work is written as a play it is a quick read.

My Life in France by Julia Child

• This is half travel book and half a book about cooking.
• Child recounts her travel through France immediately after World War II and how she discovers her love cooking.
• As expected, her charm is captured in this book.  It feels as if she is telling you her life story.
• I especially enjoyed the audiobook of this title.

Mercury by Margot Livesey

• The novel is told from two points of view.  
• On face, it is easy to side with one character.  The beauty of the novel is that "fault" becomes fuzzy and muddled as the story progresses.
• Overall, this is an enjoyable read gets quite detailed in the last third of the novel.

The Girls by Emma Cline

• In this novel, a grown woman reflects on her time with a Manson-like cult.
• The novel has an eerie feel with the main character seeming so so normal, being a teenage girl struggling to fit in.
• Emma Cline has received notable press for this novel, and the attention is well-deserved.

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close

• This novel explores the stress that political aspirations can have on relationships.
• Close's plot keeps a steady pace with vibrant characters.
• Having lived in D.C., I enjoyed the references to more domestic and less notable locations (e.g. the UnSafeway).
• Overall, this is an enjoyable read about thirty-somethings in D.C.

Barkskins by Annie Proulx

• I didn't expect to finish or like this novel.  There had been so much buzz in the press I decided to give it a try.  I was surprised.
• This 700+ page novel quickly draws the reader in.  It follows several families of fur and lumber traders over several centuries.
• The novel balances action with deep character development.